Bella Swan and the Seven Cullens
by Lemon Muffins
Summary: Oh yeah, I went there. Disney will be jealous of the drama, scandal, love and hate put into this version of Snow White, where Bella is forced out of her home by her evil stepmother, but rescued by the handsome angel she saw in the woods: Edward. AU AH ExB
1. Chapter 1

Here's a new story!! I know I shouldn't start another one while still trying to work on what I have (for BOTH of my accounts, mind you), but these ideas have been circulating in my head and I can't focus on my other writings until I get these out! I already posted a super cool one-shot on my other page and now I have the forst chapter to this one here... so yay! Maybe I'll get my racing thoughts out of my system! lol...

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Twilight then I sure as hell wouldn't be doing a Snow White parody... actually, maybe I would... never mind. I still don't own it. Sadly.

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Bella Swan and the Seven Cullens

Chapter 1: "I've watched over you since you were born, Bella. I wouldn't have ever been able to stand it if anything bad were to happen to you..."

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"ISABELLA!!"

Bella cringed at the use of her full name. She only knew of one who would call her such, and it was never a good thing to be summoned by this particular person. But Bella went anyway. She had no other choice; her Queen was calling.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" she answered, after hurrying up the two flights of stairs from the garden to reach the throne room, whose window her name had been shouted from. She bowed low to the ground and didn't dare lift her head to examine the look on her Queen's face. She already knew it had to be something bad.

"Where were you?" The harsh severity of the Queen's voice made Bella glad that she wasn't looking at her face.

"In the garden, Your Majesty," she answered as quickly as she dared, hoping to expedite the conversation.

"You're always there." _Because you never venture there yourself_...

"Yes, your highness."

"Wherever did you get that horrid dress?"

"From my wardrobe, your majesty." She didn't mention that it was one that was given as a gift from the queen herself when she was keeping up appearances; it wouldn't help her case.

"Fine, I shall discover for myself who would supply you with something so hideous and have them beheaded." Bella just barely managed to suppress a giggle. "Do not grimace like that in my presence!" Perhaps the giggle would have been better...

"I apologize, Your Majesty, I was just entertaining a private thought to myself. I didn't think of how it might offend you." As many years had taught her, she bowed even lower. It was a sign of deep respect, and it also would prevent the Queen from attacking her; she didn't like to physically exert herself, and Bella had put herself out of reach.

"Fine," the Queen stated in a cold voice. "Now look at me."

Bella did as she was told and the Queen gasped. How did this happen? It was just yesterday her face was still round with childhood, was it not? When had she turned into an adult? _I thought I had more time before this happened,_ the Queen thought bitterly.

Bella noticed the Queen's reaction to her face and she felt horribly disappointed in herself. She knew she wasn't the most beautiful thing in the land, but she didn't think her face would cause such a negative reaction. Perhaps her looks were the reason the Queen had been so cold to her since the death of her father...

But Bella's thoughts were interrupted.

"Go, now, Isabella. I do not wish to see your face." She tried to hold in her tears and she bowed once more, stumbling a bit, and practically fled out of the room.

She went up to her bedchamber and sat at her window, staring out into the forest at nothing in particular.

She had never been outside her father's castle, and she never had the urge to leave before this moment. And the urge was so _strong_, that she had already half risen from her seat before noticing her actions.

She hastily sat back down and did a quick survey of the grounds, gratefully observing that no one had witnessed her fault. She tried to compose herself and put on a more ladylike appearance in case someone were to take a stroll just now. She straightened her back, put a serene smile on her face, and began to brush her dark hair.

Every so often, she would get the strange feeling that she was being watched, but of course it was her imagination getting the best of her. There was no one outside, and not even a peep from the animals in the woods. Her room was empty, and her mind was just playing tricks on her.

She had often felt this way during this time of night, as far back as she could remember, almost. The feeling was generated from some of the bedtime stories her maid used to tell her before bed about the dangers of the forest and why she should never venture into it alone. Wild vegetation to trip you up, creatures to eat you, and unruly spirits of those lost to the animals that wanted to keep you there forever. She didn't believe the stories, but there was always the nagging thought of _what if she was right??_ Perhaps these spirits were the ones watching her.

Rationally, she knew how false this was, but her heart still hammered in her chest and her breath grew ragged as she stared into the trees, willing herself to stop being so silly, but still feeling her palms get wet.

It was the same every night.

Tonight she would prove herself wrong, she decided. She set down her brush and snuck out through the servants' corridors and out to the empty expanse of the castle grounds. She stayed in the shadows as she walked around, back to her side of the large stone building, and only managed to run into two people, although they seemed to be too busy in their little nook to notice her or give her half a worry she might have been discovered. She shook the image of the couple out of her mind as she continued on her quest, and soon she found herself directly under her open window, five stories above her head.

She felt more exposed here, where the castle didn't shade her form and anyone looking out a window could see her, but she knew the risk going into this. She took a small step toward the forest and nearly screamed when she saw movement in there. _It's only an animal_, she told herself. And the rustling wasn't big enough to be a dangerous beast, so she took another hesitant step forward.

The rustling came again and she held her breath.

Then emerged a servant boy. He was roughly seventeen years of age, the same as her, and he was looking ahead, up toward the sky with a sad smile on his face. He stopped in his tracks when he saw her.

"I apologize, Your Highness, I didn't mean to interrupt your stroll," he said, bowing low before she could get a good look at his face.

"You have nothing to apologize for, kind sir," she curtsied in response, and he stood up, flabbergasted at the respect she would show one who was obviously of lower rank than she. It was at that moment that Jacob Black fell in love with the Princess Bella. He was snapped out of his thoughts when she continued her speech. "Might I inquire as to the reason for your trip into the woods? It isn't safe in there, I hear."

She smiled kindly at him, and it took him a moment to process what she said.

"I was taking a walk and I thought I heard a noise. I wanted to surprise my father with some venison, perhaps for dinner, so I went after it."

She noticed his empty hands and asked, "Was it not a rabbit? Or did it just run too fast?"

He grinned. "I don't know. By the time I reached the edge of the woods whatever had made the noise had vanished, and there's no sign of a trail."

"'Tis a shame. I'd wager your father would have enjoyed that meal. Venison stew is one of my favorites."

"I make an excellent venison stew," Jacob replied.

"Truly? Well, perhaps the next time it's served in your household I'll be inclined to join you," she teased.

"It would be an honor to have the Princess Isabella enter our humble abode," he bowed.

She didn't enjoy this display. She had thought that he might have been a true friend to her, but he saw her only as royalty. Of course. "Bella, please," she said, hoping to gain a more casual relationship.

"Princess Bella," he corrected himself.

"Bella," she smiled.

"Isn't that what I said?" he asked. She let out a small giggle and he nearly fell over himself at the beauty of the noise.

"I suppose it is," she agreed, giving up for the time being. "And you are?"

"I apologize, Princess!" he bowed again. "I am Jacob, of the House of Black."

"Jacob, of the House of Black," she acknowledged and he stood back up. "Do you go into the woods often?"

"Aye, Princess. We must catch our food if we are to eat; we don't have it served to us," he teased and she smiled back in return.

"And..." She didn't know how to phrase her question without sounding like a superstitious child. "Have you ever met anything in there that isn't of the usual?"

"Still worrying about bedtime stories, are you?" he asked, catching what she was asking and causing her to blush. "Nothing too out of the ordinary. Another hunter every so often, or a nomad, traveling though, but no spirits, Your Highness."

Bella sighed in relief.

"Was there a specific reason you ask?"

"Well..." she debated telling him before giving in to the impulse; she felt like she could trust him. "That is my room up there, and I always had a funny feeling when I would look out to the woods at Twilight. I was curious if it was just my mind playing tricks on me." She blushed at her confession.

"Perhaps it's your internal spirit that bothers you, rather than any specters running around. Twilight is quite sad, being how it's the end to the day, something that one sometimes wishes would never happen."

"Perhaps," our Princess agreed, easily. She wanted desperately to believe Jacob's words that there was nothing harmful thirty yards away from where she slept. "I thank you greatly for your company, Jacob Black, but I must retire now," she said as she curtsied and he made a hasty bow in return.

"The pleasure was mine, Princess. Do you require an escort back to the safety of your home?" he asked, offering his arm as if he were raised a proper gentleman of the court. This surprised the princess and she took his arm without thinking.

As they began walking, her mind started racing. She was touching a _man _without a chaperone present! The scandal of it all! She looked around herself quickly and was satisfied not to see any outraged faces. She relaxed back into easy conversation with Jacob, and blushed as she explained how she had to sneak out the back, when he had simply brought her to the closest door. He laughed, but she could tell he wasn't making fun of her, so she didn't object.

When they passed the couple in the hall again, Jacob hastily switched sides so she was walking on the outside, away from the scene, and covered her ears and made her close her eyes until they were far enough away. They both knew he was overdoing it to protect her innocence, and it was truly hilarious, especially when Bella saw the look on his face after telling him that she had already seen them on the way out.

He didn't mind the display as much as he pretended to. It gave him an opportunity to touch the beautiful princess's silky skin, and also made him feel like more of a man worthy of her, rather than just a servant boy, when he knew he had the power to protect her from witnessing such things. She didn't seem to mind, but he enjoyed imagining her as extremely appreciative of his efforts, even though they were fruitless attempts due to her trip out from the castle. He would have to have a talk with Sam about the proper place to rendezvous with his love, Emily, the next time he saw him, just the same.

Too soon for either's liking, they reached the stairwell where they would part. He wasn't to enter a place of sleeping with a lady, even if it they _did _have a chaperone, not to mention that with his stature in society, one would automatically assume he was taking advantage of the princess. He was lucky no one had come across them yet or he would have been thrown in the stocks for a week. Not that it wouldn't have been worth it, to spend this time with the Princess Bella...

"Remember to send word of your venison soup," she supplied when it seemed an awkward silence would have to suffice for a farewell.

He was grateful of her attempts at conversation. "Indeed. I'll send a specter to your window with the scent of it, to let you know to come get it!"

"That sounds wonderful," she played along, much to his delight. "I'll just pray that you send a friendly specter, rather than a poltergeist or an incubus."

"I would never do that to you, my Princess," he bowed low, and she was touched by the sincerity in his voice. She knew she had to leave before she did something unladylike, such as hug the friendly boy. She took a step toward the stairwell, and he stood up straight. "Fare thee well, Princess, until my spirit seeks you out."

She smiled. "Fare thee well, Jacob, of the House of Black." And then she turned and scurried up to her rooms as fast as she could without tripping.

When she reached her destination, she collapsed back onto her window seat, once again looking out into the forest. But this time she _knew_ there were no spirits hiding from her in there; only charming young men, it seemed. She smiled, and then she went to bed.

When she awoke in the morning, she called in a maid to help her dress for breakfast. She didn't even spare a glance to the trees that had haunted her for so long. After devouring her breakfast at a pace that would have made her father chuckle, she hurried off to the grounds, to perhaps take a wander into the forest, now that she knew no harm could come of it.

Still, despite her better judgement, she was wary as she ventured her first steps in. Soon, though, her cautiousness turned into exhilaration; she had never been this far before. It was a silly thing, since she could still see the stone turrets looming through the trees, but that didn't take away the excitement from the situation.

She took a straight path and ventured out. She had walked for almost an hour, she'd guess by the position of the sun through the trees, when she heard it. A sound in the trees. She knew that she needn't be afraid, but she couldn't help it; she hid behind a large oak tree.

Moments later, she saw a figure emerge in the clearing she was just about to walk in to. It was a man, and by his finery, he wasn't another servant boy like Jacob. Perhaps he got lost on a hunt he was attending, or he was a noble exploring as she was, but she didn't believe his messy bronze colored hair to belong to anyone she had yet come into acquaintance with.

He came closer and her first thought was, _maybe he _was_ a spirit,_ for he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. His face was smooth and pale as if it belonged to an angel, while his eyes were greener than the grass that was currently staining her pretty yellow dress. He passed right by where she sat, muttering words that sounded like a confession to his loved one. Once she was sure he was gone, she started back, making up stories about the handsome man/spirit in her head.

"He was a prince a century ago, who fell in love with one of the ladies of the court, though he could not marry her. He was the eldest, and therefore the one to inherit the kingdom, and his own father had already promised him away to another Princess of the country they were at war with, hoping this union would bear peace between the nations. But he still longed for his lady, Mathilde, yes, that seems a good name for her. He already knew that his younger brother was jealous of the fact that he was to rule, so he decided to profess his love for Mathilde, and they would run away together, letting his brother inherit the crown. He came out to the woods to ponder what to say to her, when a bear attacked him. Now he's stuck here, forever wandering and forever waiting to meet with Mathilde and tell her his true feelings."

Smiled in satisfaction with her tale before frowning. No, that wasn't it at all. Something was wrong with it.

"He was a noble named Robert from another kingdom. He had heard legends of the Princess from here, and how she was not quite stable in her mind. He offered a quest to his King, to discover the truth of this statement, for the King was to accept this princess as a daughter-in-law soon, and he didn't approve of a lame woman for his son, even if it was Geoffrey, the son he despised. The offer of such a wife would be an insult to him, and his Kingdom. So the King approved of Robert's quest, and he slunk through the forest to try to see the Princess with his own eyes. But when he did, he was stunned, for the Princess was beautiful beyond words, beyond compare. He fell in love with her instantly. But he was loyal to his King and would never have taken something that wasn't his, so he returned to his home and reported that though she was sane, she was ugly and bitter. The King didn't want a woman like that residing near him, so he agreed to let the engagement lapse, without harm on either side. When Robert heard this news, he set out at once, rushing back to the land where his beloved waited for him, whether she knew it or not. But the King noticed him setting out again, and had him followed. It was discovered that he was a liar and he was executed in these woods, while still deciding how best to approach his Princess."

She thought for a moment. This tale seemed somehow more accurate, which she knew was silly... none of this truly happened... but somehow, something was still off with her account. She had almost reached the edge of the woods again before she could understand what was wrong with her account.

Then she saw a shape in front of her. Her breath caught as she imagined meeting her angelic specter face-to-face.

"My Princess!" came a voice she had not expected. "What are you doing out here?"

"Jacob," she sighed. "I was just looking for a hare for you!"

"What a coincidence, for I was doing the same for you, Your Highness," he bowed, smiling at the continuation of their joke. He was glad she had not forgotten his face, or their teasing, for he had enjoyed it so. Then he noticed the green patch on her otherwise flawless dress and he was instantly worried. "Are you alright? Did you fall down?"

"I beg your pardon? OH! No, I was," she blushed, "I was hiding from a fictional ghost. I went for a walk and then I saw him... and he was so beautiful with green eyes and bronze hair, I swear he must have been an angel walking on earth... have you ever witnessed a site such as that in the woods before?" she asked earnestly.

Jacob didn't appreciate hearing his princess speak of someone else in such a flattering light. He knew that he could never expect her to love him, but he also didn't expect her to tell him of her affections for someone else so blatantly.

"Jacob?" she asked again when he didn't answer her.

"Yes, I have, once. I was leaving the woods and an angel stepped directly in my path and spoke to me."

"Really?" she asked. He noted how adorable she looked when she was excited. "Do you think it was the same angel as the one I just witnessed?"

"No, my angel was a beautiful woman. And she's flesh and blood."

"I see," she said, disappointed. She attributed this feeling to mean that he hadn't seen her angel.

"And I don't recommend you walk in these woods alone, Princess. There may not be evil spirits, and there may be angels, but therein also waits large animals and men who would not let morals stop them if they saw you."

His words confused her. Would they want to murder her? Why? What had she ever done to them? "What do you mean, Jacob?"

He blushed. "I mean... some men would be likely to take advantage of a situation when they found themselves alone with a beautiful princess."

"Oh..." she said. Then she understood. "Oh!" he gave a dark chuckle at her reaction.

"Yes, 'Oh!'" he quoted. "So I suggest you not wander far enough that you might meet this angel of yours again, in case he's not quite as angelic as he appears, do you understand?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Good. Now as you've failed to catch us some venison soup, I shall have a go. Do you wish to accompany me?"

"I fear not. The Queen expects me for tea at midday, which is in..." she looked up at the sun, "an hour. And I must change into something presentable for her by then."

"I wish you luck and bid thee adieu," he bowed. It was a well known fact how callous the Queen had become since her husband's death. Bella thought it was sweet of him to send her well wishes for her meeting.

"And you as well," she curtsied. He walked off into the trees, and she meandered over to the stairwell she had seen the couple in the night before. It was empty now, and she let it lead her away to her chamber to once again dress for the day. She only hoped the soil would come out of this dress when it was washed.

After she had changed into her favorite dark blue gown, she went to meet the Queen for their daily showing of "affection" to the rest of the court. But when she arrived, a messenger told her that the Queen had requested that they take their tea in the garden.

This news surprised our Princess Bella. Hadn't the Queen so recently voiced her distaste of that place? Any why dine together when there would be no one to witness the false act of family bonding? All these questions swirled in her mind as she walked outside.

The Queen waited, and immediately dismissed all present. This wouldn't be good.

"You are my heir."

"I am." Bella was greatly confused as to why this was being spoken of now, considering how it was common knowledge.

"Who, do you suppose, would take your place if you decided to... I don't know, run away with a servant boy by the name Black?"

Her eyes widened. So _that_ was what this was about... but she had it all mistaken.

"My Queen, nothing of a questionable nature has occurred, I assure you!"

"And why would I take the word of a harlot?"

"I am _not!_" she exclaimed, tears coming to her eyes.

"Perhaps," the Queen stated. "But if there was even a question of it, you would never find a willing husband. And you would never rule. So it is your duty to tell me who would be next in line." Her voice was deathly calm, and Bella knew that didn't bode well. She decided to tread lightly and answer as correctly as possible.

"Riley, Your Majesty," Bella said. Victoria had married in to the crown, her husband being a noble who had died in battle. The King had taken pity on her and they were wed, though only recently had she produced more children, Riley being the eldest of these children at three years old. She had several more recent children though, all could still be considered toddlers and newborns, sets of triplets each.

"But Riley is young, yet. Who else would wear the crown?"

"I don't know, I have no other relations. You would just keep it until your death or until Riley had matured fully."

"That's right. So _I_ would wear it. Because I'm meant to. Because I was _chosen_ and you were just born. Think of it this way, Isabella. 'Divine Right' is gone." Though she wasn't shouting, she was shaking with fury and her quiet words were laced with venom.

Bella was frightened. She had never seen the Queen quite so angry before, and she had no hope that anyone would intercede, for she had sent everyone away.

"But I haven't _done_ anything, Your Majesty!" she pleaded.

"Not yet. But you will. Your father loved you more, and James does as well! You aren't as beautiful as me! You can't be!"

This confused her. Of course her father loved her more: she was his daughter, and the Queen was his charity case since his true love had died and he had to keep trying to produce heirs. Unfortunately, the new queen hadn't been successful at this until just before the King had passed. And Bella knew no one named James, whom the queen might mean.

And of course the Queen was more beautiful. Bella didn't even try to dispute this in her mind.

"What do you want from me?" Bella asked, tears in her eyes.

The Queen ignored her. "Laurent! Charles!"

Two men appeared almost out of nowhere in front of them, and Bella blinked in surprise.

"Laurent, I want you to escort our Princess into the woods and dispose of her in any way you wish. Bring me her heart as a keepsake. And Charles, retrieve her 'lover' Jacob Black. Say that Bella wished to meet with him for a walk through the woods. Then, they'll disappear off into the sunset together and no one in the kingdom will know what truly happened to them. Go. Now!" The man named Charles shot a glance over his shoulder at Bella, and she was surprised that she recognized him. He was the one who had brought the news to her of her father's demise, and had taken care of her for as long as she could remember. It hurt her to know that he was going to allow the Queen to do this to her. She shot him a look of betrayal before the man named Laurent grabbed her arm and tugged her roughly toward the woods, stumbling most of the way.

They traveled until the sun was an hour from setting when Laurent stopped abruptly. Bella was relieved, thinking that perhaps he would listen to her pleas at last. But then he shoved her to the ground and drew a small dagger from his belt. He raised it to her throat and her breathing stopped.

"That's right. If you hold still it will hurt less," he soothed, a smirk on his face.

"More or less makes no difference if you plan on killing me either way. I'm only concerned about time."

"I see," he said, obviously surprised at her words. "Well, I'll tell you that time is in fact of the essence, so we shall be quick. Feel free to scream all you wish, though," he began as he started pulling her skirts up. "No one will hear you anyway."

And then Jacob's words came back into her mind: _I don't recommend you walk in these woods alone, Princess. Therein waits men who would not let morals stop them if they saw you... some men would be likely to take advantage of a situation when they found themselves alone with a beautiful princess..._

And so she did scream. She screamed for him to stop and for her angel to come rescue her and for someone to find them as she thrashed about, earning her a cut across her neck; nothing lethal, but the blood was running down to stain the front of her pretty dress and that annoyed her.

After a couple minutes of struggling, Laurent was thrown off her and hit a tree. He slid down to the floor unconscious.

Bella looked up at her savior, only to see her angel from that morning looking down at her. His hair was even messier, as if he had been running, and his eyes were wild.

He grabbed her hand, hauled her up, and tried to lead her away, but she wouldn't budge.

"Come on, Princess, we have to go before he wakes up!"

But she still didn't move. She didn't know if it was because her angel was here, talking to her, if it was because the last time she got taken into the woods the person had tried to kill her, or if it was because said person has just attacked her seconds before.

"Princess, come on!"

He looked at her face and saw the mental battle waging in her mind, so he stopped pulling and stepped directly in front of her. "Bella," he said, and her eyes immediately met his. "I'm not going to hurt you, but you have to trust me. We need to go because I would hate for him to wake up and then need to slay him in front of you. But we have to go _now_, alright?"

She just nodded. At the action, he noticed more blood spilling from her skin. He gestured for her to walk, and then followed behind, ripping the sleeve of his shirt as he went. He touched the cloth to her neck and she jumped at the sudden touch, but relaxed and took over for him when she saw what was happening.

They had been walking for maybe half an hour when Bella suddenly stopped.

"What is it, Princess?"

"What about Jacob?! We left, and Charles was going to-"

"Keep your voice down. Charles was going to tell him to run away, and then go find Laurent and finish what was started. He's the one who found me and my family years ago, and he came to me when he was faced with the situation of killing the girl he had watched over since she was an infant or face death himself. Charlie would never betray you, Princess, so might we continue on?" he asked, his voice fast and low.

"So Jacob is safe?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, slightly angry. "Now may we continue? We have a long journey ahead of us."

She nodded and let him lead her through the woods, keeping one hand on her back to guide her, and occasionally using his other hand to hold her elbow to help her over any rocks or logs that were in their path. She pretended not to notice her heart hammering at the touch, just as he pretended not to enjoy the feel of her body as it moved with each step.

He glanced down at her and noticed how beautiful she was in the light of the setting sun, and how nicely her skin went with the color of her gown, though it was probably ruined now from the blood that had fallen on it. And that directed his attention back to her neck, which curved elegantly, and how slender it looked, even with the thick strip of cloth wrapped around it. He was very disappointed in himself for not coming sooner. He had temporarily lost the trail after they waded through a river and was in the process of finding it again when he heard her screams for mercy, rescue, and even help from the angels. That last one tore at his heart; he was hardly an angel if he couldn't stop her from being hurt.

"Are you in pain?" he suddenly asked.

"No, why?" she responded, looking at him and therefore tripping over a root. He caught her, of course, and they both felt the electricity when his hands grazed the bare skin of her forearms.

"Because you nearly had your throat slit open, Princess, that's why! And I can't believe I didn't think to check you for other injuries! Do you have any scrapes? bruises? Did he actually..."

"No, all is well, Sir..." she paused. She had almost called him 'Robert' like the Nobleman of her story, and now she realized that she didn't know her angel's real name.

"Edward," he supplied.

"Sir Edward."

"Just Edward," he smiled. She wasn't sure if this was the same as when she tried to convince Jacob not to call her by her title or if he really wasn't noble. Either way...

"Edward, then. But only if you call me Bella." He already had, once, when he was trying to get her to leave, but he had resumed referring to her as a title since.

"Bella," he grinned, and the grin was crooked. It made her stop in her tracks and her knees turn to jelly. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, uh..." she searched for an excuse and started walking again. "Nothing. I'm just wondering what is happening with Jacob now."

"Jacob will be running in the opposite direction if he's smart," Edward replied. He didn't appreciate how when he had just saved her life, she couldn't stop thinking of another man. Not that he had a claim over her, of course, but it irked his heart.

"Why the opposite direction. Wouldn't Charles have sent him to us?"

"No, it would be too conspicuous if we were caught traveling together. But Charles himself will be joining us shortly," he added to lighten the subject.

"Truly? When? Where?" Her excitement was contagious. He couldn't stay in a foul mood when Bella smiled so happily at him.

"A riverbank about half a mile away, and he might already be there."

She immediately hurried forward and almost toppled over.

"Careful now, Bella. There's no rush. We have plenty of time now."

Soon they had reached the promised meeting spot, and there Charles was, sitting on a log. Bella was so grateful to see him that she ran the last several meters and threw herself at him. He was surprised, but hugged her back.

"Thank you for not aiding in the death of myself and my friend," she joked.

"I've watched over you since you were born, Bella. I wouldn't have ever been able to stand it if anything bad were to happen to you," he responded sincerely. Edward observed that she looked as if she was about to cry at his words.

"Thank you," she repeated.

"You choose your friends well, Princess," he spoke in a teasing voice. "That friend of yours was so worried about you that it took me an hour to convince him to leave, even when he saw Laurent disabled on the floor. He wanted to go after you, and make sure you were alright."

"Oh, but you convinced him I was, yes? He'll go off to safety?" she asked desperately, and Edward sighed. She couldn't stop worrying about the boy, could she?

"I believe so. I had to explain that I left her in the care of someone who would rather die than let her be harmed in any way." Edward shot him a panicked glance. "He has enough honor that he could never witness a crime and not want retribution, and he would never allow a lady to be harmed in his presence."

Edward calmed. He wasn't ready to admit his love to a woman whom he had only seen from afar the past several years. He had run away from home to escape his destiny and had traveled several days, only to end up outside the gardens of the castle. This was where he had spotted Bella the first time, and he was so captured by her beauty, and so pained by her sadness, that he wanted to approach her. He almost had, when Good Ole Charlie grabbed him by the neck and interrogated him. Charlie was always watching over her, even when she didn't know it. And in the past couple years, if Charlie wasn't, then Edward was, for he had been coming back once a month ever since. His parents didn't even seem to mind, since he had found himself a chaperone here. One of his older brothers would just escort him for the first length of the journey, and then Charlie would meet him here, at this riverbank, and would fill him in on everything about the girl, then lady, now _woman_ he had fallen for all those years ago.

But he didn't want to tell her that right now. She had been through enough without his plea for her love in return, and he was afraid that she would give it for the reason alone that he had saved her. He had planned to visit the court as an ambassador from his home, meet her, gain her favor, and then confess. But the plan all changed when Charlie wasn't there to meet him.

He had worried that perhaps Charles was sick, and he hurried to the man's quarters, only to find a note pinned to his pillow: _Bella in danger. Destroy this, then follow their path into the woods. I'll save the friend, and clean up your mess, then meet you two at our spot. HURRY._

And like that, he balled the note up, fed it to the lit candle and didn't even wait for it to finish burning before sprinting as fast as he could into the woods. He went to the garden first, since Bella loved being there so much, and was lucky enough to see the start of the trail. He saw her tiny footprints being dragged off by much larger ones. The fury in him built, and he ran faster than he ever had before to follow behind.

But he couldn't tell her this. Not yet.

* * *

Thoughts? Comments? Questions or opinions? I'm all ears!

Much Love,

Grace, the unGraceful


	2. Chapter 2

Bella Swan and the Seven Cullens

Chapter 2: "I thought I told you to stay out! What did you think you were doing? You could have died! And what the hell would I have been able to do with myself without you?"

--

Charles left soon after. He didn't doubt Edward's ability to care for Bella, but he still had to see for himself that she was alright before he headed back to the castle.

After trying and failing to send the persistent Jacob of the House of Black away, he had just brought him with as he sought out Laurent. He hoped Edward had gotten there in time, and had controlled his temper enough to leave the man for _him_ to deal with. He didn't want Edward to frighten Bella, and he also wanted to be the one to deliver the man who had dared hurt little Bella his final blows.

But it was too late. Not too late for Bella, but too late for the man. He saw the blood on the tree where someone had been thrown and the "X" marked on the ground that was Edward's signal that he had been there and would meet them at their designated meeting place. But Laurent was long gone. For a moment he had feared that the man had perhaps followed them, but he caught the scent of more blood. Jacob sought it out and discovered a boar had been massacred and its heart torn out. _So, he had decided to fool the Queen and bring her another heart..._ Just as well, for the Queen would assume Bella was dead and never know to seek her out. It worked better this way.

But Jacob of Black would not be dissuaded, even after he discovered that the threat was over for his Princess's life. He knew nothing of the man whom this soldier had her run off with. He didn't know who could be trusted with her life and who couldn't. After all, the Queen had trusted Charles, hadn't she?

When he voiced these thoughts to Charles, his reply simply was, "No one could be trusted with Bella's safety more than Edward Cullen."

"What makes you think that?" he challenged.

Charles sighed. Young men who fancied themselves in love were hardly ever reasonable. "The same reason you are so intent on keeping her well."

Jacob stopped dead. He looked at Charles with shock on his face.

"Yes, you're very much obvious about it. You're out of luck, though. Edward has had claim over her for many years now."

Bella was betrothed? Why wasn't everyone in the Kingdom aware of this? Why hadn't he even heard this man's name before? Why didn't Bella ever mention him during the time they were together?

"The Princess is to wed him?" he asked, his heart breaking at voicing the words.

"Indeed, although she is not aware of it yet. Their fathers had arranged it many years ago after young Edward had run away from home and ended up just outside the Princess's garden and he fell in love with her."

"She was going to marry someone she doesn't even _know???_"

"You're upset about this."

"Yes."

"The only reason to frown over an arranged marriage is if the two involved dislike each other and are incompatible. This is not the case. Edward is a fine young man, much desired in his home, but he would never be satisfied with anyone other than Bella. And Bella is sure to reciprocate his feelings, no matter how nervous he's been about voicing them whenever he traveled to visit her. He'd always be quite hilarious, trying to find the words to speak to her..."

These words struck a chord with Jacob. "Does this Edward have bronze hair and green eyes?" he asked, remembering what Bella said about her "angel" in the woods... _Was it only this morning?_

"Indeed. Have you met him before?"

"No, but Bella has."

"Really?" Charles seemed pleased by this. "When?"

"They didn't precisely _meet_, rather she saw him in the forest this morning. She said he looked like an _angel_." The bitterness in his voice was hard to hide.

"I see," Charles smiled. "So she's infatuated with him already, and then he saves her life. That will work out splendidly for him."

"Maybe," Jacob sulked.

"Go now, Jacob Black. Let your Princess be happy."

After a moment, he nodded. There was nothing he could do. She was safe and he could never hope to win her love. He turned around and walked back the way he came, longing to turn around with every step.

Just in case, Charlie decided to disguise his footprints as he retreated to meet with Edward and Bella.

He didn't expect what he was met with: Edward with his arms around her, a bloody cloth around her neck, and then she sprinted to hug him—without even tripping, amazingly enough!

After he got over the shock, he shot Edward a look which caused the young man to look down guiltily, and trace the edge of his shirt that had been ripped apart to provide the bandage. It wouldn't do any good to berate the boy for letting her be hurt; he felt terrible enough about it as was. But she was obviously alright, especially if she could manage to smile so brightly. He gave a nod of forgiveness and thanks to his young companion, and then left. He would have to report to the Queen and lie.

He left the two who would marry one day to discover this information on their own.

"Smile for me, Bella," Edward said a few moments after Charles had left.

"But he's _gone_, and I won't see him again!" she exclaimed.

"You will. He knows where we're going. He'll visit."

"Do _I_ get to know where we're going?" she asked.

"Yes. We're going to my family's winter home in the land of Forks."

"Forks?" her face showed how perplexed she was.

He chuckled. "Yes, Forks. We invented them, you know," he teased.

"Indeed?"

"Indeed. But we have quite a journey ahead of us, so we'll be resting here for the night."

"No one will find us?"

"No one knows they need to be looking."

She nodded, and he noticed her shaking slightly, so he built a fire. Then he walked to the edge of the frozen river and used his dagger to cut out a chunk of ice and chopped it into tinier pieces to fit in his flask, setting it near the fire to melt; Bella would be thirsty soon.

"Are you hungry at all?" he inquired as she rubbed her hands over the flame. "I could go find us some food..."

"NO!" she exclaimed. At the stunned look on his face, she stammered and looked to the floor, "I mean to say, I don't want to be left here alone..."

"I won't go far," he said, but when her expression didn't change he took her face in his hand and tilted her chin up. He knew it was improper to touch her this way, but he couldn't help himself. "Come along, then, Bella. We'll hunt together." Her expression made him smile; he had done well with her and correctly guessed her needs. Maybe he would grow to deserve her soon.

He offered her his elbow and led her to the edge of a nearby clearing, letting her sit on a rock before sauntering slowly into the clearing itself, spinning slowly and looking for prey. He spied a raccoon in a nearby tree, and it looked big enough to supply a dinner and breakfast for two. He removed his dagger from it's sheath, the sound of metal on metal announcing his presence to the animal. Before it could scurry away, he threw the weapon and it hit the animal in the neck, killing it instantly and ending its torture. He walked over to pick it up and then gauged Bella's reaction to this act.

She was sitting perfectly still, never having seen anything like that before. It amazed her that one person could do that so effortlessly, and she was impressed. She tried to reign in her feelings and kept her face and tone casual as she said, "Lovely. Shall we return to the fire and cook it now?"

He shook his head. "You might want to look away," he warned, and waited until she did so before skinning the creature.

She stole a glance behind her after a while and saw Edward laying the raccoon skin beside a tree. She smiled. He was a kind soul, leaving it where someone might find it and be able to use its comforts, for she knew he didn't have the tools on his person to fashion it into something useful as it was. When he turned toward her, she quickly faced away, trying not to let on that she had watched after he requested she not.

He smirked. "Sneaking a peek, Princess?" he asked.

"Of course not," she scoffed. They both pretended he believed her, and with the raccoon in one hand and her hand on his other arm, they returned to their camp site.

It was dark by the time they returned. She sat down and he gathered more wood, enough to keep the fire going all night. She took his offered flask of water while he cooked the meat, then they ate. It was a simple night, and they soon curled up to sleep, knowing they would rise with the sun to continue on their journey.

The next morning, they set out and traveled almost all day, only stopping to eat some berries they came across at midday, and they stopped an hour before sunset. They gathered wood together (after a short argument about letting her help) and set off to find food again. That night's meal was a badger. He had discovered one coming out of its den, and threw himself onto it, quickly breaking it's neck. He stood up, brushed dirt off himself, and once again asked her to turn around while he skinned it. This time she obeyed; she had already seen what was happening, and the smell of the blood was bad enough.

They were once again by a riverbank, though this one was bigger. He walked to the edge with the badger gripped in one hand, stepped around a little, and Bella was was wondering what he was doing. She stepped out to follow him, and he held his hand up.

"Stay there," he told her firmly. She nodded, and he continued to pace around on the ice. Then he came to a sudden stop and backed up a few paces. He dropped the badger on the ice and took out his dagger, stabbing it into the frozen river in several times, breaking up the ice to rinse the kill. Now she understood; he was searching for a thin place in the water. After he washed it thoroughly, he filled their flask again and carefully stepped back towards her. She winced at his every step, now that she knew the ice was thin enough to break.

"Don't go near this lake without me, do you hear? I don't want you falling in the ice," he warned.

"Of course," she answered. "The same goes for you."

He smiled at her answer. There wouldn't be much she could do to help him if he fell in, but her concern touched him. He smiled throughout their meal.

He was still grinning (and therefore, she was still not thinking clearly because of the daze his smile put her mind in) when he left to relieve himself before they retired for the evening.

After he left, she finished the last of the water, and thought she would refill it for them in case either got thirsty in the middle of the night. She walked to the edge of the river and knelt down, carefully feeling the edge with her hand, seeing how sturdy it was. In the shallows it was extremely soft. She smacked it with her hand and it cracked. She went to hit it again when arms enclosed around her, pulling her roughly away from the water's edge.

"What do you think you're doing?!?! That ice is thin enough to fall through!"

The sudden embrace and voice startled her momentarily, and then...

"Jacob! We thought you were heading in the other direction!" And she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"I was worried about you, so I turned around. Why are you out here alone? I thought-"

"She's not alone," Edward said, just having walked in on the scene of the woman he loved on the floor in the arms of another man. She saw him and stood up hastily. "May I ask what you're doing here?"

"Jacob was _worried_ about me," Bella explained, moved that her friend cared so much. Jacob enjoyed hearing her voice caress his name like that, while Edward wanted to vomit. "Now, come along! Warm yourself by the fire!" she said, pulling his arm.

Edward tried his best not to glare at their unwelcome guest, and he was surprised to observe Jacob to be doing the same to him.

"As her protector, it is my duty to ask why you had your arms wrapped so familiarly around her when I made my approach," he said calmly, sitting down next to Bella.

"Her protector, you say? Then it is _my_ duty to inform you that she was out on the ice by herself, while _you_ were nowhere to be found," Jacob retorted, enjoying the look of shock on his rival's face.

"Bella, didn't we agree you weren't to go out there?" Edward asked her quietly, cupping her cheek with his hand and trying to exclude Jacob from their conversation.

She blushed at the touch. He was being a hypocrite, she noticed, speaking of Jacob acting familiarly with her while he would touch her so boldly. But she couldn't seem to mind, of course. "I wasn't on the ice, I was at the river's edge, getting water for us. I was just trying to be helpful..." she trailed off. It was hard to think coherently when he was staring at her like that.

He warmed at her explanation. She was so thoughtful and her facial expressions were so sweet that he couldn't even pretend to scold her, only encourage her not to follow through with such an action again. "Although I appreciate the gesture, darling, it would be better for both of us if you wouldn't give me a heart attack like that."

She nodded mutely. He had called her 'darling'. She smiled.

"If you smile it would seem like you are not listening to my words, Bella." She made a show of frowning and both Jacob and Edward laughed at her expression. It was quite adorable, indeed.

But Jacob had had enough of their little display of affection. "How much longer of a journey is it?" he interrupted their interlude.

Bella also looked at him for the answer. "Tomorrow is our last night in the wilderness, and in the morning we'll travel east until we hit the road. There will be a horse waiting there for us, love, and we'll just continue on the path until around midday. Then you shall see our winter home." He spoke only to her, Jacob noticed.

He also couldn't help but observe how he had called it 'their' home. This didn't sit well with him, especially when she smiled at the words. He had touched her face freely and called her 'darling'. Perhaps he had broken the news of their betrothal and she had accepted. He flinched internally at the mere thought. It couldn't be too late for him, yet, could it? It had only been two days since they had made a date to eat venison stew together. Surely she hadn't forgotten that, had she?

"That is well," she responded to Edward's words, completely oblivious to what was going on in her friend's head.

"It is. I'd like to see the dwelling you deem suitable to house a princess," Jacob said, more to himself than to his company, but he was overheard anyway.

"Oh, Jacob, anything would be fine. I'm just glad to finally be out of that wretched castle and away from the Queen." _And to be with my angel when he's being so sweet to me, of course_.

"Yes, I'm sure our accommodations will live up to your standards, Jacob. Our winter home is coveted by many, and has been let to a cacophony of diplomats through the years as they've passed through our land and we've yet to hear a complaint," Edward smirked. He thought it would be rude to mention that their seasonal house was bigger than the castle he was comparing it to, and that their yearly home was probably double the size. It would seem like bragging, when he was really only stating a fact.

_We shall see to that_, Jacob mused as his rival suggested they get some rest, and he grudgingly complied after hearing his Princess' consent. He was appalled to see how close to him she chose to sleep, both curled around the fire, the tops of their heads mere inches apart. Surely that wasn't proper... But he did much the same, wrapping his long body around the fire as well, letting his feet brush against hers. He was delighted when she let out a slight giggle at the feeling.

"What's funny?" Edward asked, propping up on his elbow.

"Nothing," Bella replied, sneaking a glance at Jacob and giggling again.

The glance didn't escape his notice, and he waited until Bella had laid her head back down and closed her eyes before glaring at his opposition. Jacob just smiled smugly back, and twitched his foot, letting it touch Bella's leg, and she smiled again, playfully tapping him back with her foot before bending her legs to curl up more securely, all while keeping her eyes closed.

Edward was shocked at her "friend's" lack of propriety and was glad she had put an end to it. Although he would have preferred that she outright told the boy to stop with his nonsense, he knew that would never happen. His Bella was much too sweet to be so confrontational. She had halted his actions in her own way, while still being nice about it. He smiled at Bella as he watched the smile on her face widen, her beautiful brown orbs still remaining hidden from him.

"I can feel you watching me," she whispered, quietly enough for him to hardly hear her, and barely moving her lips. He was pleased that she wanted to have a private conversation with him.

"I apologize," he said just as quietly, knowing that his voice held no hint of remorse and saw her smile widen. "I just can't seem to keep my eyes off you. It's a serious problem I've developed."

"I see," she said and sighed.

The sigh made him wary. Had he said too much, too soon, and frightened her?

"I understand your feelings. 'Tis why I keep my eyes closed; I know I'll never be able to look away if I open them, and we need our sleep."

This time it was his turn to smile widely. He lay his head back down on the ground, sweeping her hair out of the way so he wasn't laying on it, and gently reached up to caress her cheek. He felt her face turn up in a smile once again and burn in a blush before she let her hand touch his, keeping it there as she fell asleep. Once he heard her breathing even out, he let his dreams overtake him as well, forgetting all about their third party.

Jacob hardly slept at all on his first night after meeting up with his Princess and her "protector." First he had to deal with seeing them smile at each other for a fair amount of time, then he heard their quiet whispers, and then he had to deal with the sight of the "protector" taking liberties with his Princess by daring to touch her face. Again. He didn't like this man at all, and he had to listen to Bella's coy dreams about him all night. He spent most of his night staring at their stationary forms in case the "protector" woke up and tried to push his luck with her, falling asleep only an hour before dawn.

The rising sun woke him up and his gaze immediately fell on the serene face of Princess Bella as she slept. He glanced down and was shocked to see her still holding Edward's hand, though their clasped hands had fallen from her face and down to rest on the elbow of her other arm that served as a pillow to her. He sighed. _Better than it falling somewhere else..._ he thought, thinking of how their hands had probably slid down her sternum, past her barely exposed chest that continued to rise and fall as she slumbered. He quickly averted his eyes and stood up, deciding to take a walk to calm down his racing nerves.

Edward awoke soon after to the feeling of something squeezing his hand. His eyes snapped open and he took in his surroundings. He recognized the area immediately as one of his usual stops on the road to and from Bella's castle. He was a day and a half away from his home. Then he felt the pull on his hand again, and looked up, astonished to see Bella lying there gripping his hand, starting to stir in her sleep.

She was so beautiful in the early morning sun that his jaw dropped in shock. He had thought her stunning before, but now she was... magnificent. The rare break in trees overhead allowed the sun to shine down, making her skin seem translucent and bringing out auburn highlights in her hair. He was instantly chagrined by the dismal weather Forks usually suffered, especially that time of the year, as he wouldn't be able to see the beautiful sight very often.

Then she opened her eyes and they immediately locked on his.

"Good morning," she smiled.

"Good morning," he replied, happy that she smiled after letting him be the first thing she saw in the morning. He grieved mentally that they only had one more night together in the wilderness, and then propriety would have her sleep far away from him. But he smiled on the outside, deciding he would mourn the loss of seeing her in the morning later and to just enjoy the sight while it lasted.

They continued their trek, and soon Edward had to admit he was grateful to have Jacob there with them. That day's journey would be the most dangerous, and he was happy to have another set of eyes watching out for Bella's safety. Well, _happy_ might not have been the correct word, considering the way Jacob's eye's would tend to stray over to certain parts of her anatomy for too long a period of time, but he was now not-angry at having this unexpected guest with them. His help came in handy when they had to traverse across a narrow cliff edge, and again when they needed to cross a tree trunk hanging over a deep ravine. Jacob's looks may have been inappropriate, but he did in fact care about her well-being, so Edward couldn't bring himself to send him away. Yet.

Finally they reached their last obstacle of the day: a half mile long frozen pond. After this, they would rest for the night and then reach his home early the next afternoon.

Edward had told them everything that would keep them safe and sound for this trek: wait until he told them to move so he could test the strength of the ice, and follow along in a straight line behind him, several paces apart so the combined weight wouldn't break the ice. But sometimes things don't turn out exactly as they should.

Bella slipped when they were about halfway across, and the weight of her fall caused the ice to crack slightly.

"Bella! Don't move an inch!" Edward called out to her frantically, slowly and softly walking back to her. When he saw Jacob start to move, he added, "You, too, Jacob! Don't move a muscle!"

"But I'm closer to her," he replied, continuing his careful steps to where his princess sat on the ice.

"And you're also heavier than I am! Don't move! In fact, back up!" Jacob sighed, but did as his rival told him, retracing his steps to put more distance between himself and the girl he wanted to save.

Edward continued his cautious steps to her, and then laid down, instructing Bella to do the same to spread their weight out. He army crawled toward her until he reached her hand, and pulled her to him, the ice cracking a little more but never breaking on them, and they crawled several paces away before he allowed them to stand up.

Jacob let out the breath he was holding when he saw that she was safe. He made a large arc around the broken area of the ice and approached his princess from the side, pulling her from the hug Edward had placed her in and into one of his own. He heard Edward's indignant scoff, but ignored it, saying to his princess how happy he was that she was alright.

"You had me worried there for a moment, Princess. I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you."

She smiled at his words and he smiled back, stroking her hair lightly. "That's what Edward said," she responded, her grin brightening even more as the light in his eyes diminished and he fought to keep his smile on his face.

"And it's true," Edward said, interrupting them. "Come here, love."

Bella extricated herself from Jacob's arms, unaware of the pain this caused him, and let herself be enveloped in Edward's embrace once again.

"I'm sorry I worried you again, Edward," she whispered, running the fingers of her hand through his hair in an attempt to calm the fire in his eyes.

"It's no matter now," he whispered into her neck, trying to convince himself. "You're safe, and the extent of the damage is bruising at best in the... ah... area of your fall..." he blushed, as did she.

Yes, her buttocks would most definitely be bruised from it's encounter on the ice. _But it's worth it to have him embrace me like this,_ she thought, noticing the way his fingers played with the lacing on the back of her dress as he held her to his warm body.

"You're dress is wet," he observed, lifting his head up in concern. "Are you cold?"

She looked down, and then turned her body to look at the back, and sure enough, the dress was wet on the bottom half in the back from her extended stay on the ice. She nodded at him.

"Then let's finish crossing and make a fire!" Jacob said, stepping quickly over to them and pulling her arm before he paused. "Oh, shit."

Cracks began to surround them from their combined weight, and Edward roughly pushed her away from the breaking ice and into Jacob, who pulled her away from where the ground gave, swallowing Edward in freezing water. Bella saw him smack his head on a chunk of ice before she lost sight of him.

"Edward!" she shouted and tried to hurry over to him, but Jacob held her back. "What are you doing? We have to help him!"

"You're not going over there," he told her firmly, dragging her struggling body away from the cracking ice.

"Yes, I am!" she shouted, using all of her body weight to try and escape his grip. It wasn't happening.

Jacob was thoroughly conflicted. When he saw Edward go down, his first instinct was to help. He was a person in need, after all. But then he shoved the princess to him, and he remembered the situation. Not only was this his rival for the affections of Princess Bella, but _someone_ needed to take care of her; he didn't want to risk his life and have neither of them survive, leaving her alone with people wanting to kill her. Someone needed to take care of her and Edward had given him that responsibility by throwing his beloved to him. He was giving her up to protect her. Or was he reading too much into the situation?

Obviously he was, because as he pondered what the right thing to do was, Bella escaped his hold and sprinted back across the ice. He ran after her and grabbed her arm just in time to be pulled into the ice cold water with her, breaking the thin sheen of ice that had refrozen during their brief time away.

"Shit! It's cold as hell!" he exclaimed. She ignored him, and dove under the water, but he managed to grab hold of her dress and pull her back to the surface before she got far. She kept struggling to go back under despite her body shaking fiercely, and his decision was made.

"Keep your head above the surface and break any ice that starts to form, do you hear me?" he asked and waited for her to nod before diving under to search for Edward. The pond was deep, and he felt his body losing feeling after only a couple seconds, but he knew he couldn't stop. If he didn't find him, Bella would try and he couldn't let that happen.

When he finally found him, he saw that he was unconscious, and there was red water pooling around him. Shit. He grabbed him and kicked up, shooting them toward the surface, but were met with solid ice. He obviously wasn't near the opening anymore, and he didn't know which direction to go to. He tried squinting through the water for Bella's kicking legs as she tread water, but his vision was starting to grow dark from the cold and lack of oxygen. He resorted to pounding on the ice above his head, trying to break it.

Meanwhile, Bella was freaking out. Jacob had been under water for a long time, and Edward a full three minutes before that. Her body was mostly numb, and she wasn't even fully submerged. She was beginning to regret letting Jacob go under instead of her. She didn't want both of them to be lost to her.

But then she heard a thumping noise to her left. She looked around and didn't see anyone else near her. Then she heard it again. With a start, she realized it was coming from under the ice. She struggled to pull her body out from the water, losing her grip on the slippery ice several times before she managed to do it, and scurried across the surface on her hands and knees, searching for the people underneath. Several yards away from their original falling point, she saw a large dark form through the blurry surface, and she stood and began to stomp on it as hard as possible, hoping that Jacob had the sense to move out of the way so she wouldn't land on top of them. After a couple good hits, the ice gave and Bella fell through it, seeing Jacob holding Edward firmly to his chest as he kicked up to the the air. She shot back up through the water to join him at the surface, seeing the deep, ragged breaths he produced, and helped him lift Edward out before she was roughly tossed to the surface as well.

She gathered her breath as Jacob lifted himself out, yelling at her all the while.

"I thought I told you to stay out! What did you think you were doing? You could have died! And what the hell would I have been able to do with myself without you? What if you had the wrong spot, Bella? I wouldn't have been able to help you! I-"

He was interrupted by her placing her lips against his briefly. "Thank you for saving him. And for finally calling me 'Bella,'" she grinned at him for a moment before turning her attention back to the unconscious man in front of them. "We need to get him to land and start a fire. If we don't warm him soon, getting him out of the water will all be for nothing." Her voice cracked on the last word, and she took an arm to try dragging him. He was heavy and barely moved two inches. "Aren't you going to help me?"

He was still in shock. And he desperately wished his lips weren't numbed by the water so he could have felt what it was like to be kissed by his prince—Bella; to be kissed by his Bella. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and took in the scene in front of him.

Bella was shaking so fiercely she couldn't keep a grip on Edward as she tried to drag him to the shore. His wrist kept slipping from between her fingers when she pulled. He sighed and nudged her away, telling her to walk carefully to the far shore. She nodded, and walked backwards, keeping an eye on his progress as he pulled Edward with him.

When they finally reached shore, Bella sprinted into the woods, quickly finding wood for a fire. Jacob took over to build the fire, not wanting her to get burned when she was already freezing. He still couldn't believe that she would be so stupid as to purposely fall into a frozen lake. He didn't have time to think about it too much, though, because when he turned toward her after the fire was lit, he saw her pressing her lips to his. The instant chagrin he felt was deathly. He felt like his heart had just been ripped out, and the feeling didn't disperse when he saw her press her hands into his chest several times and then check his breathing. Even if she was just trying to get him to breathe again, it didn't lessen the fact that she was touching Edward in ways he wanted her to touch him. He looked away and warmed himself by the fire. Soon he heard a sputtering, and he knew that the water Edward had swallowed was out of his system, and he was alive. He sighed.

"Jacob!" He turned at the urgent sound in his princess' voice. She wasn't his Bella any longer.

"Yes?" he asked, masking his emotions.

"Follow his directions. Go to the path, then the house, and give word of the trouble and bring back help. Please," she pleaded with him.

"What about you?"

"I'm going to stay here and make sure he gets warm," she said, looking away from him and to her unconscious future husband.

He sighed again and agreed, listening to her thankful cries to him as he jogged east through the forest, wondering how long of a journey it would be until he reached the promised horse.

Once she couldn't hear Jacob any longer, she grabbed Edward's wrist and pulled his body closer to the fire. She blushed furiously for a minute, then allowed herself to strip both of them of their clothes and drape them over rocks and branches to dry. Then she paused to blush some more and tried not to admire his form too much as she laid down next to him and rubbed her hands over him, making friction to garner warmth into his body. After what seemed like an eternity, she felt his body temperature begin to rise, so she relaxed and wrapped herself around him to keep the heat in and let herself drift into sleep.

Edward woke up several hours later sweltering hot. His eyelids were pink under the light of the fire that was directly in front of him and he avoided opening his eyes, basking in the rare feeling of heat during the winter season.

An image flashed in front of his eyes and he opened them instinctively, wondering if what he saw was real. Bella: naked, touching him. But she was nowhere to be found, and neither was Jacob. Was all of that just a dream his mind made up? Saving Bella, her wanting him to call her by her name instead of a title, touching her skin, hearing her admit to feelings similar to his before they fell asleep, and holding her hand when he awoke in the morning, feeling her bare skin against his... could his mind really be so cruel to tease him with those images?

Apparently so.

He took in his surroundings. He was by the first lake in his journey to see Bella, and he was naked. He remembered falling asleep in front of the fire after bathing himself there the night before. He looked for his clothes and saw them folded neatly, resting on a rock nearby. He sat up, the full depression of none of it being real washing down upon him, and raked his fingers through his hair.

Then he heard a twig breaking in the distance. Vandals and thieves, he wagered. They probably saw the smoke from the fire and wanted to rob whoever had settled here. They sure would have something coming to them; they didn't know how pissed and hopeless he was at that point. He calmly sauntered over to his clothes and slipped on his trousers before settling himself against a tree, waiting for the thieves to come into the open.

When he felt the presence of someone on the other side of the tree, he leaped into action, drawing his dagger from its sheath and placing it on his neck, ready to slit the thief's neck if he moved an inch.

"Edward!" the thief shouted, and he immediately dropped the dagger and embraced the girl in front of him, letting a tear fall down his cheek. How he had missed her in the brief time he had been separated from her.

"You won't believe what I woke up thinking," he told her as she wiped the tear away.

"Tell me when we get home. Come on," she said with a smile, tugging on his arm, and leading him back the way she came. He went along willingly, never letting his grip on her fail.


	3. Chapter 3

Yes, it's been for-freaking-ever. I have a crapload of truly legitimate excuses, but I doubt you want to hear them all. Good news, though: the third chapter finally is here! Yay!

This whopper of a chapter goes out to the one and only xsecretxkeeperx for being a great person, as well as doing her best to NOT hide her impatience for this chapter. XD Here you are, honey. ABOUTDAMNTIME, am I right? You only had to wait a whole year for me to be in a position to write for this story again, eh? So how about more frequent LiFL updates (like I can complain XD), eh? I'd go for that, as would many others... :P

(Shameless plug in 3, 2, 1:) If y'all are tired of waiting for forever between updates, check out some of my other stories. If you put them all together, then you'll see that at least something I write gets updated every two weeks unless some major Life upheaval happens, even if it takes forever for a certain story. I recommend reading my oneshot _When VeganElla Met NakedWard_ or my new story _Stockholm Syndrome: Absolution_ XD

PS: some intro quote, eh? This chapter opens up exactly as the previous chapter ended, so you might want to read back the last several paragraphs to remember what had happened XD

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Twilight then I sure as hell wouldn't be doing a Snow White parody... actually, maybe I would... never mind. I still don't own it. Sadly.

* * *

Bella Swan and the Seven Cullens

Chapter 3: "You hurt me more by listening to those hateful words than any physical action ever could... Never doubt that I think nothing less than the entire world of you..."

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_"You won't believe what I woke up thinking," he told her as she wiped the tear away._

_"Tell me when we get home. Come on," she said with a smile, tugging on his arm, and leading him back the way she came. He went along willingly, never letting his grip on her fail._

"Thank you for coming to get me, Alice," Edward said as he let his giddy sister lead him east through the woods.

Although he was extremely grateful to see her when he was feeling so disheartened, her presence also doubled his feelings of melancholy. Alice was the embodiment of the realization that everything he had been through with the Princess Bella was simply a dream. Though it was the best dream he had ever had, he wished that he had never had it, for he now had false memories and visions of her that would haunt him until he could make them real.

"Brighten up, dear brother of mine," she began as she led him to the road, "as you have quite the convoy waiting to lead you home now."

"I could care less about the size of the caravan, Mary Alice."

"Oh?" she asked with the secret smile he always dreaded seeing on her face. "And why is that?"

"Because," he sighed as the forest opened up in front of him. "There's no point to any of it if she isn't-"

He cut himself off as the scene in front of him registered into his mind.

Bella.

She was with the convoy, talking to a man near the middle of the group that Edward recognized as a healer from the palace.

And he knew that it wasn't a dream, and that she really was here with him. _Well, most of it wasn't just my __imagination,_ he corrected mentally, for he knew that lying together with Bella had to have been something his mind had made up as a beautifully tortuous dream.

He pushed past everyone who approached to greet him, hurrying to get to the one woman who could make him either fall from grace or soar to the heavens.

Bella saw him walking toward her and was also overcome with relief. When she had awoken to the sun that morning, she had ascertained that Edward was indeed still breathing, though she hadn't let herself stay long enough to gauge more than that—she simply hurried back into her clothing, fastening her dress together as best as she could by herself and rushing to follow Jacob's path, hoping to find a search party and lead them the correct direction.

Instead she found a large caravan of Edward's "closest friends and family" as his sister had told her. And this happy little ball of energy named Alice wanted to go find her brother at once, unaware of the state of undress he would be in—the reason why Bella had left his side in the first place.

She tried in vain to stop little Alice, but alas, Bella was unsuccessful in her task as a man claiming to be a healer waddled over and insisted on checking her over for any possible injuries. She settled into the examination, wondering how long it would take Alice to find Edward and label her a harlot for what she saw.

She sighed in depression, looking up to the sky. _Please let some miracle have dressed him before she reached our camp..._

And then he was there, hurrying toward her, and she was overcome as the distress she hadn't known she was feeling fell from her frame—he was in proper shape to walk at a quick pace, and therefore healed from his terrible spell in the ice water. No permanent harm had befallen him in his attempt to save her.

She met him halfway and they embraced in a hug that was entirely too familiar for such a public audience, and Bella could actually feel the wave of shock passing through the crowd, doubling when he put his hands in her hair, pulling her face into his chest.

He felt her warm breath on his skin, and was shocked to remember that he still had yet to put his tunic back on. He wondered if Alice had grabbed it for him, or if he'd have to travel back to the castle only half dressed, as he refused to remove himself from Bella's side now that he was with her once again.

But that thought wasn't the one swimming at the forefront of his mind as he took in what her presence might have meant.

"Bella," he whispered into her ear. "Why was I naked this morning?"

He felt his chest growing warmer with her blush, and his own cheeks turned pink in response, waiting for her response.

"You fell in the river... do you remember?" she whispered back. He did, though the memory was fuzzy, almost as if he were a part of the situation as an observer with a faulty memory, rather than the injured party. "Well, you were in danger of freezing and you were cold and wet... I dried your clothes on the tree branches."

He didn't know what to say. He was simultaneously embarrassed at having her see him naked, and flattered that she had gone to such lengths to try to save his life.

"I'm sorry..." she said when he didn't respond, looking down.

"No!" he quickly exclaimed, pausing to quiet his voice before continuing. "It's alright, love. I was just shocked."

She nodded, still looking down, and playing with the strangely knotted ties to her dress. He took the opportunity to look her over, confused by the haphazard set of the dress on her form and the loose strings, understanding dawning on him.

"Bella..." he began, and she looked up at him. "Did you _warm_ me?" he asked, the previous embarrassment completely diminishing as awe and adoration took its place.

She didn't respond verbally, but her deepening blush answered his question effectively. He cheered inwardly at the thought, while he outwardly blushed as deep as her as he tried to keep the excitement out of his voice.

It seemed that he couldn't do so successfully. "Thanks," he replied cheerfully, and Bella looked up just in time to see the devilish smirk on his face.

With his hands still wrapped around her, he tried to adjust her gown as subtly as possible, and she desperately hoped that no one else had noticed how horridly she had managed to dress herself that morning, just as she had hoped Edward wouldn't have noticed either—she was used to an attendant assisting her, and hadn't realized how hard it was to reach each tie and hook on her own.

Alice seemed to sense the awkward shift the conversation would soon shift to, and interrupted to hand Edward his forgotten tunic, an enthusiastic smile on her face. Edward became suddenly bashful that had been shirtless around Bella for such an extended period of time, though he knew the emotion was pointless, as she'd already seen him completely bare.

His blush darkened. She'd seen him _naked._

He wondered if the faint images branded into his head truly were from his imagination, or if it was possible that they were memories of the night before. Surely Bella would have mentioned something if he had woken up at all during that time, yes?

He banished all improper thoughts from his mind as Alice led them to the horses tied up at the edge of the trees where the healer who spoke to Bella before was waiting to check him over as well. He was given a clean bill of health and permission to travel on horseback, though a day of rest was recommended at his return to the castle. He had every intention of ignoring such orders in favor of more important affairs such as seeing to Bella's every need.

Edward and Bella rode at the front of the caravan with Alice, who had taken it upon herself to fill them in on the details of their arrival.

Jacob had showed up in the dead of night, sending the entire house into a panic. The guards had believed him a thief as he rode on Edward's horse, but he had managed to explain the situation before serious damage fell upon him. Bella fretted by her use of the word "serious", hoping that "small" damage was not done to him either. Alice reassured her, and Edward frowned at the extreme relief he saw on her face at that. She was a caring individual, but was it purely impartial care that caused her to be so happy? He hoped so...

When the news broke that Edward was hurt and possibly dying, everything went crazy. Esme was so upset that she fell ill. Carlisle had calmed her down with a sedative, and organized the forces that were to set out to the rescue. Emmett wasn't allowed to go and Rose didn't care to, as she was simply angry that she was woken up from her beauty sleep. Jasper had slept through it all, despite Alice doing her best to rouse him.

And Jacob himself had refused to rest until he saw Bella safe and sound, so Carlisle had to force a sedative on him as well, laying him to rest in a spare room as he was cold and tired from his journey as well.

And so Bella fretted again. Jacob had been in the freezing water as well, and she had forced him to travel through the cold night. Alice once again reassured her that he was in well health, and turned the question to her.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright? The healer didn't have a chance to finish his examination on you before you were... distracted..." she added coyly, causing Bella to blush. Seeing Edward was more important than her health, though, so she wasn't embarrassed by her actions in the least.

"I am perfectly well, Alice. Thank you for asking." And she was, save for the bruised backside that was being jolted on her horse's saddle with each step.

"But I'm sure you're hungry, yes?" Edward asked, joining in the conversation. "You haven't eaten since midday yesterday."

Her stomach growled on cue, and his responded in like, proving his statements true. Alice laughed as she produced food from her own horse's satchel, handing over bread and cheese to the two starving travelers. They both swallowed down the delicacies ravenously, not having eaten such foods in many days.

Alice was pleased when she witnessed Bella carefully wiping a couple crumbs from the corner of Edward's mouth, smiling softly at him. And then she panicked when Bella nearly fell off her horse.

"There is no need to worry," Bella tried to explain, blushing as she righted herself in her lady's saddle. "I'm afraid to admit that I'm not the most elegant person in the land."

_Even if you are the fairest..._ Edward thought to himself as he watched her crimson cheeks soften to a light pink. Alice winked at him, leading him to believe that she could understand what he was thinking. He turned a darker shade of red himself at her acknowledgment.

They arrived at the castle around midday as Edward had predicted, and Bella was stunned to see a royal procession waiting. She thought the affair was rather over the top; she might have been a visiting princess, but she certainly didn't think she needed all the fanfare, especially considering the circumstances and how her own stepmother wanted to see her dead. Such an entrance would surely draw attention, and word might have ended up traveling back to her homeland, and their effort to go into hiding would have been for nothing.

But then the herald announced the return of _Prince_ Edward and _Princess_ Mary Alice.

Bella's mouth fell open in astonishment. She hadn't been aware that Edward came from a royal family, and he had never even hinted at such in their time together._ It was no wonder he didn't want her to call him "Sir Edward" if he was truly a prince..._ she thought in shock.

The prince himself glanced over at Bella nervously, and she took a moment to reassess him. He had lovely finery and stood up straight and tall, showing he came from good breeding, but he also had an air about him that she couldn't quite name before, but had found it comforting. He was _regal_, something she was used to from her memories of her father, as it was a certain something that only one raised with royalty could emulate or achieve.

Edward was _royal_, and the knowledge gave her butterflies. He was now officially matrimonial material, according to her land's standards. Her face flamed at the sudden thought, but she was even more surprised by the way the fluttering in her stomach hadn't made her queasy—merely excited.

The man who had saved her life, resembled an angel, and made her heart soar was someone her own father might have approved of. It was a very pleasurable thought, indeed.

And Edward was still looking her over, trying to gauge her reaction to the news. He saw her gazing up at the palace and thought she seemed impressed by the accommodations, but if he were being honest with himself, that was to be expected; they had a very nice winter home, he knew.

When she turned to face him, he saw awe in her eyes, and he felt a large helping of worry slide off his body.

"_Prince_ Edward?" she asked, as if trying to confirm what her ears had heard so clearly. He gave a sheepish smile in return, and she shook her head in amusement. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted you to know-" _love_ "-me for who I was, not some overused title that has nothing to do with who I am as a person," he replied, his voice dropping in volume with each word he spoke. Admitting it was much more embarrassing that he had thought it would be. He chanced an opportunity to peek over to see what she thought.

She was nodding thoughtfully. "It was the same with Jacob. He always calls me 'Princess' no matter how many times I entreat him otherwise."

She understood what he meant, and he was satisfied with that; she could never feel for Jacob what he felt for her because they would never be able to get past such a basic barrier. He found himself very pleased with that revelation as the horses slowly led they way up to the stone steps marking the entrance to the main hall, where a small crowd of people stood in wait.

Bella observed them with fresh worry. By the royal finery, she could tell that this had to have been Edward's family, and she desperately wanted to make a good impression on them, and she knew that having to run for your life didn't set a good standard to follow up with. She watched from her perch on her mare as an older gentleman with blonde hair—Carlisle, if she remembered Alice's earlier commentary correctly—hurried forward and wrapped Edward up in a hug before checking his health, despite the healer's earlier examinations. Once he was satisfied, he turned to Alice to do the same.

The scene was bittersweet to her. She missed her own father fiercely at seeing the man care for his children so obviously, but she couldn't feel too terribly about it; love was prevalent in this man's actions, and she could never scorn such a thing.

As he checked Alice over, the older woman from the group made her way slowly down the steps, wheezing the whole while, and she came to the conclusion that this must have been their mother, Esme, who had made herself sick with worry. She hugged Edward tenderly, and pushed her husband away from his examination to do the same to her daughter.

Bella was surprised when he came to check her condition as well after his forceful removal from Alice.

"Are you alright, dear?" he asked kindly as he offered a hand to assist her down. She accepted, nodding her assent as well as thanks, before Esme pushed him to the side once again, hugging Bella to her bosom.

"Thank you so much for keeping him safe! We're so glad to welcome you here to our family!" she beamed, and Bella nodded in shock. She glanced frantically at Edward, who had turned beet red at his mother's words. His own embarrassment soothed her, and she calmed slightly. Until the next person approached her.

The blonde woman from the steps had finally made her way down, a bulky yet chipper looking man right behind her. The man seemed nice enough, but the fire in the woman's eyes couldn't be described as anything other than hostile.

The thought was confirmed when she slapped Bella hard across the face.

Gasps arose from the family, as well as the city-goers and those from the caravan who were close enough to see. Bella clutched her cheek in pain and shock, not having ever experienced someone striking her with so much force before in her privileged life.

The man behind her attacker grabbed her shoulders and hauled her back, whispering fiercely into her ear, as Esme and Carlisle gathered around Bella again to see if she was alright, Edward and Alice half a second behind them. Edward elbowed his parents out of the way, and softly put a cool hand to her stinging cheek, concern in his expression as his touch numbed some of the pain. She couldn't hear his calming words over the vicious yelling from the few meters away the blonde was hauled to.

"Don't you dare thank that little wench, Esme! He wouldn't have been hurt in the first place if it weren't for you! How dare you endanger his life and then ride in here like you're _our_ royalty! Who do you think you are, wench!"

Edward responded to her by raising his voice to the bigger man with her. "Shut her up or I will, Emmett! Get her out of here before I do something that I most certainly will _not_ regret!"

"Why are you defending her, Edward? Can you honestly say that you're still willing to marr-"

Her shouts were cut off when the big man escorting her clasped the front doors behind them, leaving the entire courtyard in an uncomfortable quiet.

"Are you alright, Bella?" he asked after a moment.

Still not able to speak from shock, she nodded.

"Come then," he said, taking her hand and leading her up the steps and past the astonished people. He glanced through a small opening in the door before showing her inside and guiding her through a series of hallways that she'd never be able to remember again.

He stopped suddenly, and she nearly waltzed right into him.

"Well..." he began, looking slightly uncomfortable. "We obviously don't have any rooms set up for you as of yet, so I'll let this space out to you for now so you can rest."

"Alright," she responded with uncertainty as he turned to leave. "Edward?"

He paused at the door.

"I really am sorry... If I hadn't fallen down, then-"

"Bella," he interrupted, a distinct emotion on his face. "You hurt me more by listening to Rosalie's hateful words than any physical action ever could... Never doubt that I think nothing less than the entire world of you," he whispered, stepping closer to her once again, and cupping her face in his hands. "Are you in any pain? Answer me truthfully, please."

"Not much," she admitted. "It was more shocking than painful," she added in a lie, and he nodded gratefully.

"Well, you're welcome to rest here in my rooms for now, as it is. Wait for that 'shock' to settle itself," he added, implying that he hadn't believed her lie, but he respected her choice to tell it. She blushed, before freezing.

"This is your suite?" He nodded again. "I couldn't possibly take over your lodgings, Edward. You've done enough for me as it is..."

"It's alright, Bella. Truly. Rest, have a bath, anything you'd like... I need to speak with my mother and father before I can begin to consider doing anything else, so you'll be in no one's way, even my own," he smiled kindly. The smile was very similar to the one his father had given her earlier, and she couldn't help but believe the sincerity there.

She nodded in resignation to his requests, and he agreed to fetch a servant to draw a bath for her before leaving her to unwind from their journey in peace.

Naked. In his bath.

He sighed as he walked away to meet with his parents to explain the perilous situation they all were in.

"Edward," his mother greeted him in the throne room, smiling affectionately as she embraced him, his father following suit.

"We should speak in private," he said simply, and waited for the room to clear of servants and soldiers. Once they were by themselves, he began to speak again. "I brought Bella back with me because-"

"Oh, you finally did it, son!" Esme exclaimed, clapping her hands in a frenzy that belied her usual calm demeanor.

Edward worried about her recent illness as she exerted herself, but that worry was put aside at her next words.

"Once we had sent out a search party for you and your Bella, I began planning the party. You proposed! I'm so excited!"

"Yes, congratulations, son. Much earlier than we had anticipated, but congratulations nonetheless. We're so proud of you."

Edward began to protest, but was interrupted by the arrival of his brother and sister and their spouses.

"Edward's just made the announcement?" Alice guessed, gauging her parents reactions, and proceeded to squeal, running up to hug her brother.

Emmett smiled widely in support of his brother's decision.

Jasper lazily grinned as well.

Rosalie sneered, but did not voice her negative opinions any longer. Edward had assumed that whatever Emmett had said to calm her down had done wonders; she was not accustomed to keeping her thoughts to herself in any manner.

Fighting his way out of his sister's embrace, he quieted them down.

"I didn't propose to Bella," he finally got out, and he saw one eyebrow raise after another, obviously very curious about his abduction of her if they had not agreed to wed.

"Then why is she here?" Rosalie pouted.

"Because her stepmother tried to have her murdered," he said quietly, slightly paranoid that someone might have been listening at the doors.

Alice gasped in shock, and no one else moved.

"I found her in the woods, about to be... executed..." Edward said, averting his eyes and skipping what would have happened to her before. "Her servant Jacob was also going to be killed in a set up to make it look like they ran away together as part of a scandal."

"How do you know that they _weren't_ going to run away together, and that the queen simply found them out and sentenced them?" Rosalie asked, seeming to take pleasure in the idea.

Edward took a deep breath, reminding himself of his earlier epiphany that Bella could never love Jacob in a romantic context.

"Because I know her. And I learned from her own mouth that she would never involve herself in that sort of relationship with that _boy."_

Rosalie mumbled something incoherent, causing Edward to glare until she left the room, her husband Emmett skipping behind her to be sure she wouldn't take her anger out on anything irreparable...such as a person.

It was quite silent after such a theatrical departure, for the family was still attempting to comprehend what they had been told; they weren't celebrating an engagement, but rather helping an innocent escape from death.

"Why would that woman want to kill such a sweet girl?" Esme found herself voicing.

"If I knew the answer to that question, I would feel much better about her safety here," Edward murmured, putting an end to the conversation, and settling in to suffer the awkward questions his family would have regarding their journey...

Soon following the unresolved family meeting, Edward found himself moping in Jasper's company and Alice found herself heading toward Edward's rooms, searching for the one she was sure would become her new best friend.

"There you are!" she shouted when she found Bella soaking in Edward's bath.

"Alice!" Bella cried out in shock, crossing her arms across her chest despite the copious amount of bubbles surrounding her.

"Oh, there's no need to be shy, Bella, for I'm under the distinct impression that you and I will be getting along quite well soon enough," she smiled.

"I'm glad you think so," Bella replied sincerely as her heart slowed its frantic pace from the sudden intrusion.

"I hope you don't mind..." Alice began cautiously, rubbing scented soaps into Bella's hair for her. "Edward told us of your predicament."

"Did he?" Bella asked, trying much too hard to sound casual in Alice's opinion.

"Indeed. And I want to reassure you that we won't say anything about it to anyone. As far as the court will know, you're merely a visiting princess, invited here as part of Edward's courting," she giggled.

Bella sputtered. "_Courting?"_

"Of course!" she replied happily. "It should be quite obvious to everyone that he cares for you one way or another."

"It should?" Bella's voice was meek, and there was a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Oh, yes!" Alice laughed, gently pouring water over her companion's head to rinse the bubbles out and then holding out a robe for Bella to put her arms through as she stood. "Now. I've brought you a couple new dresses to choose from, and they're waiting in the bedchamber. Would you like my assistance dressing, or shall I call a maid?"

"I'd be honoured to have your help," she smiled and she fastened the tie on the robe, genuinely pleased to have such a blessing from Edward's own sister. Surely she wouldn't have said what she had and offered her help if she didn't approve of Bella, would she?

They linked arms, and Alice led her back into Edward's bedchamber where Bella was shocked to see the dozens of dresses that were waiting for her to choose from.

"Oh my..." she whispered in shock. "Where did all of these come from?"

"Rosalie's wardrobe. You'd hardly fit in _my_ clothing after all," Alice beamed.

"Alice," she began with care, not wanting to upset her new friend. "Does Rosalie know that you took these? I wouldn't want to upset her more by borrowing from her without her approval..."

"Oh, have no fear, Bella. She gave her permission, if not her approval. Does that suffice to your standards, dear?" she teased with a giggle.

"I suppose," she agreed uneasily, browsing through the collection displayed before her. "This one," she decided, picking out a dress the same green as Edward's eyes.

"Yes, I thought you might like that one when I picked it out." Alice smiled in a way that made Bella redden as her motives were observed. "Now let's get this contraption on, shall we?"

And they proceeded to dress, giggling and conversating all the while, just as old friends might.

The sun was just beginning to dip behind the hills on the horizon when Edward was finally allowed to see Bella. Alice had taken advantage of her afternoon, and he was still nervous about approaching her; too many years of hiding in the shadows to observe from a distance were ingrained in him mind.

It made him feel awkward and childlike to think of walking side by side with his love in his own home, their days of comfort in the woods seemingly long ago. He was unsure of how to act around her, how to speak to her, how to _be_ with her now that they were in such a structured environment.

When seeing the look on her face when he met her in the hallway just outside of her rooms, he understood that she felt the same way.

"I came to escort you to the dining hall," he stated, avoiding looking her in the eye.

"That's very kind of you," she returned, her gentle voice soothing his nerves and giving him the courage to look directly at her.

She was beautiful, just as she always had been, though seeing her refreshed after days of traveling was almost like seeing her through new eyes. Her hair was clean and pressed, braids intricately woven in to give layers to that wonderfully dark shine. Her face was clear of any dirt from sleeping on the forest floor, the fresh red to her cheeks and lips highlighting her gorgeous brown of her eyes brilliantly. And the dress she wore... she was always dressed finely, of course, and this dress wasn't any more extravagant than what she normally wore, but he loved the color on her and how much she seemed to love it as well, the way her hands graced over the folds almost reverently.

Smiling softly at her, he offered his arm as a proper gentleman would, and she accepted. His grin widened exponentially, and she looked rather content as well, making his heart soar.

Emmett met with them on the way, announcing with a silly grin that Rosalie felt too sick to her stomach to enjoy dinner with the family that evening.

"I think her sudden illness might have had something to do with seeing our Bella wearing her favourite gowns," he added with a guffaw, causing Bella to turn her face to the floor and Edward to glare at his brother. He paused to take in Bella's red face before continuing. "Alice said you were shy, but I still find it surprising."

Edward grasped her hand on his arm more firmly and started walking again, Emmett tagging along behind.

"You don't have to leave my presence if you want to hold hands; you know I won't judge you for the impropriety of it all," he joked, causing Edward to drop her hand as Emmett caught up. "Oh, the princess is red-faced again. You really _don't_ need to be so shy, as such a characteristic will either disappear around me or will in turn drive you mad."

"Lovely," she said quietly, Edward beginning to lead her away once again.

"And I can only imagine what you two lovebirds did by yourselves in the forest together," he winked.

And so the two lovebirds in question both couldn't help but let their minds lead them back to the night before when Bella had to warm Edward's body with her own. They both blushed a deep shade of red.

Emmett chuckled at their reactions, but was smart enough not to comment on what such expressions could have meant in their conversation. He left them to walk to dinner in peace, skipping down the halls and running into unfortunate servants as he went.

"I apologize profusely for his words," Edward let out in a rush once his brother was out of sight.

"You don't think he'll say something to anyone?" she asked in a whisper, trying to appear unconcerned as they walked the halls.

"He might be foolish at times, but he's hardly a fool," he responded in kind. "And he seems to like you, therefore he'd hardly go around spreading malicious rumors. You have nothing to fear, love," he added, his deep voice seeming to caress her skin.

She looked up into his eyes and saw the fire there, smouldering at her. She forgot everyone casually walking around her, and stopped their descent down the grand staircase that led to the main entrance hall. The look in his beautiful green eyes stopped her from thinking about anything except the night before and bathing in his tub and dressing in his room and sleeping in his bed at night and how her father might approve... and she couldn't seem to catch her breath.

"Are you alright, Bella, love?" he asked her softly, a hand coming up to cup her face. His fingers tingled against her skin, adding electricity to the inquiry. She shivered in response.

"I've never felt better," she answered honestly, though her words came forth in gasps.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his face inching closer as he took a more careful inspection of her face, and she could only focus in on his lips as they spoke so elegantly while she imagined them placed over her own. "If you'd like we could eat in my quarters tonight instead of attending the banquet the rest of the court..."

She shook her head to his question and took a step back to let the wall help support her weight. After consuming several deep breaths, she found herself calm enough to face the crowd assembled with dignity.

"No, I'm perfectly well," she reiterated when Edward didn't seem convinced. Holding out her hand, she asked, "Shall we?"

Edward held out his arm for her to grasp again, and lead her the rest of the way down the steps... directly into the arms of Jacob Black, to his surprise.

Jacob had been roused from his unwanted nap soon after the arrival of the Princess to the castle, though he was informed that he couldn't see her safe with his own eyes, as she was "indisposed". His russet skin had turned a vibrant shade of earthen red when his continued questioning led to the discovery that she was in the bath.

And so he waited.

After a much longer time than he thought possible, he was then informed that she was sitting with the Princess Alice, and men were not allowed into her suite.

And so he waited yet again for the opportunity to see her.

Then he was informed that it would be impossible for him to see her until dinner, as she would be escorted to the event by _Prince Edward..._ It was just his misfortune that the man was royalty, and therefore of the same social tier as Princess Bella.

The maid who had delivered the "information" of Princess Bella also delivered a severe blow to his determination as she continued to speak.

"Have you had the pleasure of meeting him as of yet? He's a very fine young man, sir. He's kind and gentle, and your princess is very lucky to have such a man agree to accompany her, indeed."

Jacob did his best not to scoff at her superfluous praise of his rival. After all, _he_ had delivered the message of the prince's predicament. _He_ had ridden all night after having plunged into freezing water to do so. And _he_ was the reason that such a "fine young man" was still alive to begin with.

Princess Bella would have been lucky to have been accompanied by Jacob Black, if his status of birth would have allowed it.

As he waited outside the entrance to the dining hall for her arrival, he found himself fretting over her condition. She had been in the same debilitating water as he had, and she surely wasn't used to stressing her body as he was from his life of work...

And so he was displeased and worried when he saw her countenance. Her eyes were glazed over and her cheeks—along with her neck and sternum—were flushed a brilliant red, almost as if with fever. Was she perhaps sick, as he had feared she might have been?

Just as he was about to approach and inquire into her health for the evening, _Prince_ Edward paused to look her over, finally observing what Jacob had noticed moments before. Surely this man couldn't have been so right for Princess Bella if it took such a despairing amount of time for him to see such an obvious thing...

But it was what Edward did next that upset Jacob the most: he tenderly took her face in hand...

Now one might wonder as to why such a gentle gesture would arouse such hostile emotions in one such as Jacob Black; he was upset for he _couldn't_ be upset... The feelings displayed so honestly in Edward's actions could hardly be something Jacob could be truly angry over. He would never be able to hate his princess enough to wish away happiness, even if it was given to her from another man.

He _hated_ that he couldn't hate Edward for making her smile so sweetly at him for his unmistakable adoration of her. But he _could_ do all that was in his power to prove to her that his own feelings mirrored—if not surpassed—that of Prince Edward's.

He rushed to her side once she had descended the stairs and swung her up into a hasty hug, earning gasps from those still milling around in the hall.

"Put me down, Jacob!" she whispered frantically, and he did so, proving to her that he would listen to all she had to say.

"I'm glad to see you safe with my own vision, rather than relying on other's words," he responded with an easy smile. He was ecstatic to see her smile back in spite of herself.

"And you as well, Jacob of the house of Black. No specters from the forest disturbed me during your absence," she teased, reminding him once again of their first playful encounter.

_Oh, yes,_ he thought to himself. _She most certainly might consider someone other than Edward in the end..._

"Oh?" he chuckled. "Well, I suppose that's a miracle. You seem to have terrible luck,Your Highness."

"Oh, do shut up, Jacob," she pouted in a very unladylike fashion, causing him to laugh.

"May I escort you in, my lady?" he asked.

"Um..." she began, looking nervous for the first time since the beginning of their reunion. "I don't think so, as Edward has offered to do me the honour for the evening."

"The honour is all mine, love, most assuredly," Edward put in smoothly, insinuating himself into their conversation and placing Bella's hand in the crook of his arm.

Jacob considered his arrival the end of their moment and simply inclined his head, admitting defeat to the battle, if not the war. Princess Bella might not have been Jacob's to cherish and love, but she wasn't Edward's yet, either, and he would fight for the chance to be by her side until the war was over.

Until her decision was made.

* * *

I added in some British spelling of words... All those extra U's seem more proper and fairytale-like to me, lol. Is it ridiculous, funny, awesome, or weird?

A gift to those of you who can guess which dwarf belongs to which Cullen. Shouldn't be too hard, I don't think :D

Much Love,

MuffN


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